Pulling attachment for fork lift trucks

ABSTRACT

A means for handling material with a lift truck is disclosed wherein palletized loads can be reached and positioned for lifting on the forks by use of a probe having a pallet engaging point. The probe is mounted on the forks and extends to a position considerably in advance of the forks where it can engage a remotely located pallet. Once engaged by the probe, the pallet can be moved to a fork engaging position merely by applying a pulling force with the lift fork. The probe is of light weight (in fact too light to support a loaded pallet) construction so that the operator can readily attach and remove it from the fork.

Moses [451 Feb. 12, 1974 PULLING ATTACHMENT FOR FORK LIFI TRUCKS [75]Inventor: Daniel H. Moses, Fairlield, Ohio [73] Assignee: ChampionInternational Corporation, Hamilton, Ohio [22] Filed: Jan. 27, 1972 21Appl. No.: 221,219

[52] us. on. 214/620, 214/750 Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Gardiner, Sixbey, Bradford & Carlson [57] ABSTRACT Ameans for handling material with a lift truck is disclosed whereinpalletized loads can be reached and positioned for lifting on the forksby use of a probe having a pallet engagingpoint. The probe is mounted onthe forks and extends to a position considerably in advance of the forkswhere it can engage a remotely located pallet. Once engaged by theprobe, the pallet can be moved to a fork engaging position merely byapplying a pulling force with the lift fork. The probe is of lightweight (in fact toov light to support a loaded pallet) construction sothat the operator can readily attach and remove it from the fork.

5 Claims, Drawing Figures PATENTEB FEB l 2 I974 sum 1 or 2 1 PULLINGATTACHMENT FOR FORK LIFT TRUCKS SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to improvements in the art of handlingmaterial. One aspect of the invention relates to improvements and theart of handling material with alift truck. A n aspect of the inventionis improvementin the method of so handling materials. One aspect of theinvention is improvement in means in so handling materials. Theinvention is preferred for use with a lift truck in connection withremoving loads from industrial shelving where the loads are remote (thatis, beyondthe reach of lift truck forks) from the trucks and/or forks inconnection with which the invention will be described.

Modern warehousing methods for storing inventories of many kinds ofindustrial and other products have led to storage systems. usingpallet-ized loads which are stored on racks or industrial shelving. Lifttrucks are used to handle the pal'letized loads. The loads thereforehave to be located on the shelving where the lift truck forks can engagesame. This makes it difficult to store pallets one bhind the other onsuch shelving because the rearmost or remote pallets are beyond thereaches of lift fork trucks. Moreover, if extra long forks are used,then extra wide aisle space must be employed which reduces theefficiency of space utilization.

The present invention has for one objective the enhancing of spaceutilization. It has for another objective the employment of an extensionor probe which is attached to normal length forks to enable movingremote pallets to a position where lift truck forks of normal length canengage and remove same in conventional fashion.

As further described below, the probe consists of a webbed and flangedbase member (e.g. a Z section) to which two non-load-bearing projectionshave been affixed as by welding. Tliese projections are the extensionsand have a generally vertical but small point for engaging a pallet. Twocutouts are provided in the base member to receive pinsjfor holding samein position. In the method: the truck is first positioned with the forksaiming at a remote pallet. The operator dismounts, affixes the probe,and then moves the lift truck forward until the projections enter thepallet. The forks are then lifted or raised in a direction suitable forengaging the points on the probe with the pallet. Once engaged, thetruck is .backed away thereby applying a pulling force to the pallet bymeansof the probe and thus moving the pallet to a position close to-therack edge. The operator then stops the truck, dismounts, removes theprobe and then picks up the load in conventional fashion with the lifttruck forks and removes it to wherever it is desired.

Advantagesrealized by the present invention are the use of narroweraisles and better space utilization. Other advantages and features maybe appreciated from a reading of the following disclosure in connec tionwith the annexed claims and drawings:

FIG. 1 isometrically shows an assembled probe in position on aconventional pair of lift truck forks;

FIG. 2-schematically isometrically shows the arrangement of palletizedloads on shelves;

FIG. 3 including FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C, shows schematically aseriesof steps in a method according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 isometrically illustrates a modified portion of the probe of FIG.1; and.

FIG. 5 illustrates schematically a typical pallet.

There is shown a pair of conventional lift truck forks I mounted on alift truck 2 (shown partially in FIGS. 2 and 3). The pair of forksextends forwardly and can be raised and lowered vertically on the lifttruck column. The forks are spaced apart an amount suitable forinsertion in the open spaces of pallets. The pallets with which we arehere concerned are preferably made of wood although they may be made ofother materials; e.g. plastic materials, metals and the like.

Palletized loads 3 consisting of a pallet and a load resting thereon(often strapped thereon) are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. t

The invention is concerned with helping the lift truck reach apalletized load (located on shelves 5 or sometimes on the ground) remotefrom the forks, too far away to get a satisfactory lifting engagement,or for that matter an engagement of any other sort. Such remote loadsare designated 30. The present invention accomplishes this by a weldedsteel probe assembly 8 with fork extensions 9 which are used to apply apulling force to the pallet 10 of the palletized load 3. By pallet Irefer to both empty and loaded pallets although in the normalcircumstance the storage problems encountered here will have a a'plletthat is fully or partially loaded not empty..Empty pallets wouldordinarily have been removed from the shelving. t

The probe 8 (FIG. 1) comprises the base member 11 which is preferablymade with a Z cross section. A pair of holes 12, are drilled'inthe upperflange of the Z in order to register with holes 14 in the respectiveforks. Pins 15 are used to drop through the holes when they areregistered whereby to secure the probe sufficiently for carrying out thematerial handling and procedures desired. r

The web of the base membr 11 has a pair of the spaced apart holes 16therein which arein register with the aforesaid flange holes. The-holes16 are for receiving the forks l therein. In this fashion, the probe 8can be slipped over the forks, the pins 15 dropped in place by theoperator, and the probes then quickly engaged with the pallet 3 and usedto pull it to the position of FIG. 3 C. I v

The base member 11 has welded thereto thepair of fork extensions 9 whichpreferably are made out of angle iron but may also be made of an I or Hsection member. At the outermost end of these extensions are weldedpoints 18. The points may comprise a mass-built up by welding which hasbeen ground or sharpened. They may also as in FIG. 4, comprise arectangular piece of material 19 welded on the bottom of angle iron 9 toengage the bottom slats 23 on a pallet.

The pallet 10 (FIG. 5) should preferably be made of con-ventional woodconstruction with three 2 inches X 4 inches stringers 21 with a woodendeck of slats 22 and either a bottom deck or three slats 23.

In operation the process of handling materials (FIGS. 2, 3) involvesfirst the positioning of the lift truck 2 within an aisle betweenshelving 5 with the forks aimed at a pallet 30 (FIG. 2) in the secondrow. Pallet 30 is the same as any palletized load 3 but number 30 isused for identification of the remote load to be handled. The operatordismounts from the lift truck and affixes the probe 8 to the fork usingthe pins 15. The system is then arranged like FIG. 3 A. He then resumesthe drivers seat, advances the lift truck forwardly to insert the probeinto the pallet either to where the point 18 (shown) or 19 (FIG. 4) canengage either a web slat 21 or a slot between slats 23 (FIG. 3 B). Theforks should be moved vertically up in order to engage the points 18with the pallet in the manner just described, or alternatively using theFIG. 4 probe, moved vertically down to a position where point 19 is insaid slot.

Once the pallet is engaged by a point, the truck is backed away (FIG. 3C) from the rack thereby applying a pulling force to the pallet by meansof the probe and particularly through the probe extensions. This ofcourse causes the pallet to be dragged across the rack 5 by means of theprobe. When the pallet has been dragged far enough forward so that itcan be engaged by again vertically moving the forks in the oppositedirection from before to cause disengagement (down if points 18, up ifpoints 19), removing the probe and then inserting the forks into thepallet and moving same.

The probe is attached to the forks manually by the lift truck operatoror an assistant who slips the forks through the holes 16 and secures theprobe 8 to the forks using pins 15.

Using the above invention greatly increases the efficiency ofwarehousing. For instance, if a 10 foot aisle is provided for a lifttruck, normally a rack (i.e., shelf 5) suitable for only one row ofpallets 3 each 4 feet wide and 4 feet long would be provided on eachside for a space utilization of (4 4) 2- (4 4 +10), or 8 out of 18 feet,or 44.5 percent. The present invention allows using at least twice asmany racks on each side (FIG. 2) for service for the same truck thusraising space utilization to 16 out of 26 feet or 61.7 percent.

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture for use on a lift truck to apply pullingforces to pallets and similar loads thereby positioning them for furthermaterial handling activities comprising a lightweight, manuallymanipulable attachment defined by flanged base member having a verticalweb portion,

an upper horizontal flange extending forwardly from the upper edge ofsaid vertical web and a lower horizontal flange extending rearwardlyfrom the lower edge of said vertical web;

a pair of holes in said web portion spaced apart a distance and being ofa size sufficient to receive the forks of a conventional fork lifttruck;

a second pair of holes-in the upper horizontal flange of said basemember laterally spaced so as to register with said first pair of holesto receive locking pins to removably connect said base member to saidforks;

a pair of co-planar and parallel probe extensions secured at one end tosaid base member and extending therefrom in cantilever fashion forwardlyof said forks, each of said probe extensions being defined by anL-shaped angle having horizontal and vertical legs, said horizontal legsbeing co-planar and disposed below the. extreme ends of the forks ofsaid fork lift truck, the vertical legs being spaced so as to fitbetween the forks of said lift truck;

a sharpened projection at the outermost end of each probe extendingvertically therefrom;

whereby said base member upon being connected to the extreme ends ofsaid forks and locked by said locking pins will support said probes in asubstantially horizontal position extending forwardly and outwardly ofsaid forks thereby to be in a position to engage and apply onlyhorizontal pulling forces to pallets and similar loads. 2. An articleaccording to claim 1 wherein said prob point is of a sharpnesssufficient to penetrate wooden portions of the pallet thereby to engagein and wherein each of said extensions is sufficiently strong enough towithstand the vertical loads applied to cause such penetration but arenot strong enough to support a loaded pallet.

3. An article according to claim 2 wherein each said probe pointextends-upwardly from the probe.

4. An article according to claim 1 wherein each said I probe pointextends downwardly from the probe.

5. An article according to claim 1 wherein each said probe point extendsupwardly from the probe.

1. An article of manufacture for use on a lift truck to apply pullingforces to pallets and similar loads thereby positioning them for furthermaterial handling activities comprising a lightweight, manuallymanipulable attachment defined by flanged base member having a verticalweb portion, an upper horizontal flange extending forwardly from theupper edge of said vertical web and a lower horizontal flange extendingrearwardly from the lower edge of said vertical web; a pair of holes insaid web portion spaced apart a distance and being of a size sufficientto receive the forks of a conventional fork lift truck; a second pair ofholes in the upper horizontal flange of said base member laterallyspaced so as to register with said first pair of holes to receivelocking pins to removably connect said base member to said forks; a pairof co-planar and parallel probe extensions secured at one end to saidbase member and extending therefrom in cantilever fashion forwardly ofsaid forks, each of said probe extensions being defined by an L-shapedangle having horizontal and vertical legs, said horizontal legs beingco-planar and disposed below the extreme ends of the forks of said forklift truck, the vertical legs being spaced so as to fit between theforks of said lift truck; a sharpened projection at the outermost end ofeach probe extending vertically therefrom; whereby said base member uponbeing connected to the extreme ends of said forks and locked by saidlocking pins will support said probes in a substantially horizontalposition extending forwardly and outwardly of said forks thereby to bein a position to engage and apply only horizontal pulling forces topallets and similar loads.
 2. An article according to claim 1 whereinsaid probe point is of a sharpness sufficient to penetrate woodenportions of the pallet thereby to engage in and wherein each of saidextensions is sufficiently strong enough to withstand the vertical loadsapplied to cause such penetration but are not strong enough to support aloaded pallet.
 3. An article according to claim 2 wherein each saidprobe point extends upwarDly from the probe.
 4. An article according toclaim 1 wherein each said probe point extends downwardly from the probe.5. An article according to claim 1 wherein each said probe point extendsupwardly from the probe.